I suddenly felt the urge to continue writing about my trip again. I always have blogging in my “things to do tonight” but somehow get sidetracked doing something. Most of the time, it’s endlessly staring at my computer from 10pm-12mn. 

2 of my friends (actually, they’re my Achi’s friends) hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. For those who are too busy to Google Mt. Kilimanjaro, it’s the highest mountain in Africa at 5,800+ m.a.s.l. In short, my hike up Lares is nothing compared to this. 

Anyway, my friend sounded so miserable in his 5 day hike. To quote, it was the worst 5 days of his life. For some reason though, I can’t stop laughing as I read through his trip report. So much pain!

So okay, that was a long intro to this Machu Picchu blog.

Day 9

It was a 30-minuted bus ride to Machu Picchu. Because I didn’t take the Inca Trail, I didn’t enter Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate. *Sigh* However, a part of me was really grateful that I didn’t. Somehow, the Lares Trek made me feel so disgusting after 2 nights of not showering and 3 days of not doing well… you know :p I don’t know if I would have appreciated Machu Picchu the same way I did, had I hiked up for 4 days straight, not taken a shower, and most importantly, not bonded with the toilet.

And because I had a night to reenergize myself, I saw Machu Picchu in its full splendor. Personally, I was just awed by the idea that there’s a stone city on top of a mountain. Unlike other ruins that I’ve visited, the site is still almost in tact! There are millions of photos of Machu Picchu online and I’m sure mine is not any different, but here it is anyway.

I had the privilege of being in a 2-hour educational tour from Wagner (or Vagner, but he’s not German). One of my biggest surprise about the tour guides or leaders in Peru (at least those that I’ve been with) is that they’re very well educated. 

To sidetrack a bit, our tour leader did his undergrad in Colorado and had a masters in Anthropology. The tour guide for the Lares trek studied Agronomy in Washington. And although Wagner did not study in abroad, he possessed so much knowledge. Some may argue that it was too much useless knowledge though. He went too deep about describing the angle of the sun, etc. He kind of lost me there. =)) Not ready for math in the mountain. Regardless, I was impressed!

Going to Machu Picchu without a guide would be useless. To be honest, it only takes about an hour to fully appreciate the site and afterwards, every nook will start to look similar. 

By 10:30am, we were free to roam! Wee!

There were several of options aside from staying within the main site:

1. Hike up the Machu Picchu mountain - it was a 3-hour hike and I was told that you’ll get the best view of Machu Picchu there. Really?
2. Go to Waynapicchu - yet another hike but this one’s more dangerous. Aside from having to pay 150 Soles (~$60), you’ll also have to endure a steep, slippery, and sometimes exposed climb. No thanks. The tour leader said that unless you’re fit, you’ll probably die. I’m sure he was exaggerating but yes, the steps were narrow and exposed. I found a video online.
3. Go to the Sun Gate - apparently, it’s 30 deg incline that takes about an hour each way. Definitely manageable!
4. Visit the Inca Bridge - none of the photos I found online clearly depicted what this looks like so I figured to give this a shot as well.

The supposed walk to the Sun Gate turned out to be a hike. Whoever said that it was a 30 degrees incline was lying! Climbing up the Sun Gate was probably not even half as bad as climbing Waynapichu. Or maybe it was. I just remembered climbing from one step to another and thinking to myself, why do I never learn?! But then I see old people coming down as I climb up and the competitive spirit in me motivates me to just go on.

This is the start of the “recreational” climb. Basically, the Sun Gate is at the top of the mountain.

After an hour and back full of sweat, I finally reached the top, yet again gasping for air! The weather was amazing though so Ben, Andrey, Max, and I decided to stay for a while and bask under the sun. 

My gayest pose ever. I could barely see Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate.

They say that there are only 2 ways to reach Machu Picchu, one is through the Sun Gate and the other one, through the Inca Bridge. Both were strategically located, and were easily blocked and readily defended.

The Inca Bridge was very disappointing though. No wonder I couldn’t find any neat photos online because it really wasn’t picturesque. There were basically 3 logs placed side by side. That’s it. On that note though, I guess this explains why this was easily blocked. Who would dare to cross this bridge? Beneath the bridge, by the way, is a quick way to death.

Ben and I (Anrey decided that he doesn’t want to do another climb anymore and Max had to wait for her mom) went around Machu Picchu one last time. I think we spent about 4 or 5 hours (excluding the tour) in the site so I am pretty sure that we had covered all the important parts.

Some cool tips when you get to Machu Picchu:

1. Get your passport stamped! It’s really nothing fancy. Just a stamp that you’ve been to Machu Picchu.
2. Have a sandwich! Although the prices are very tourist oriented, Machu Picchu is like Disneyland in Peru (without the rides). So if you’re craving for something more familiar and Western (trust me, after a while, you’ll crave for it), then this is the best place to have it.
3. Take the optional activities. I may complain and swear silently (in my mind) a lot when I’m climbing but getting to the top is always fulfilling.
4. Bring a jacket. The weather gets funky in the mountains. The mornings are cold, mid-day is extremely warm, but by 4pm, it gets cold again. Don’t even ask about the evening weather.
5. Take the tour and if you’re cheap, you can always stand beside a random tour guide and eavesdrop. Just make sure that the language is something you can comprehend.
6. Take your time. One day is more than enough to admire Machu Picchu.

We took the bus back to Agua Calientes, which gave us about 2 more hours to roam the town. The town was so small though that even when we all said we’ll take our separate ways, we still ended up bumping into one another. So unintentionally, we had dinner as a group again. =)) Agua Celientes was basically a tourist trap. Think of a resort in the mountain.

By 630pm, we depart to go back to Cusco. It was an hour an a half train ride then another hour and a half van ride back to the hotel.

I met a new person again in the train. A doctor from Oxford, England, who’s name is Sandy. He’s currently in Peru for 6 weeks (or maybe he said 6 months?!) to do some research on Malaria. I felt that I was sitting beside a potential superhero, who’s finding a cure for this disease. I was so amazed! 

Finally back to the hotel at around 10pm and then just dozed off after. Better get ready to ride the ATV the following day! :)

This week has been so tiring. I’ve been pulling almost 10 hours at work everyday and today, even if we have half-day Fridays this season, I stayed ‘til 430pm. Even skipped the farewell lunch for a colleague and decided to have (yet again) a bag of Orville popcorn. So unhealthy since I joined ConAgra! Haha Glad to announce though that all bags of sample popcorn under my desk is now consumed. No more snacking next week. It’s crunch time to lose weight!

Anyway, had I not made another commitment at 530pm, I think I would’ve stayed ‘til 630pm. Because I knew that there was no way that I’m going to finish work today or by Monday morning, I decided to bring my lappy home. These are one of those times that I’m thankful that I am being paid by the hour. ;) Oh yeah!

I had planned to work tonight and skip my friend’s despedida party but in so far, I’ve only done the latter. It didn’t help that the weather was horrible too. Crazy winds!

Regardless, I’m a very happy kid today. Finally, I had my shawarma fix! I’ve been craving for Middle Eastern cuisine lately. I know my favorite is still Japanese and Italian but I guess I’ve been having so much Asian food lately that everything just tastes the same now. As for Italian, I just can’t look forward to a carbo-loaded meal when I’m already consuming so much carbs (from popcorn) at work.

Tomorrow will be better though. I still thing that I still have to find time to work but at least I have a more exciting night. Finally, I’m going to watch a stand up comedy. I think I need a good laugh.

It’s quite hard to do these things (e.g. watch a show, game, etc…) when you’re alone. Movies I can do, shows… now that’s depressing. Oh, the banes of being single. 

But yeah, my Japanese friend said she’ll watch with me! Hooray!

On a much much better note, I just got my first paycheck from ConAgra today! Plus, my paycheck from my freelance gig + got my reimbursement from PdP. I’m a rich kid now! Temporarily at least.

***

Will follow this blog post shortly. I’m due to write about Machu Picchu! :)

When I was planning for my vacation almost a month ago (gosh, I can’t believe time passes by so fast), I really wanted to make sure that the physical demand would be somewhat high. My trip had a physical grading of 4/5. As per GAdventure’s definition, it “possibly includes high altitude hiking of up to eight hours per day or activities or a similar nature. Requires an elevated level of fitness.”

Day 6, the real adventure begins.

I badly wanted to take the Inca Trail but to get a slot (the Peruvian government limits 500 hikers at a time), you’ll have to book almost 6 months in advance. I’m not a fan of booking trips too early - too many uncertainties.

We started with a quick dip at the Lares Hot Springs (3250 m.a.s.l). After a hearty lunch, we then started our ascend. I can’t remember anymore the names of the villages that we passed. All of them had really difficult names. All I remembered that it was a good 3-4 hour hike (depending on how fast you are) and it wasn’t easy.

I run about 10km+ and swim for about an hour back home - yet, I’m still not sexy. :( So I thought I was physically fit for this. I would not say that this trek was impossible but for sure, it wasn’t a walk in the park. Maybe I shouldn’t have swum in the hot springs and saved my energy?! :p

Climbing from 3250 to 4175 m.a.s.l, the slopes (or actually, steps) were surely steep. We started by offering some coca leaves to mother nature. The guide suggested that we chew the leaves as it releases enzymes that mitigates exhaustion and high altitude sickness. The leaves were so bitter though. I ended up chewing gum instead.

Along the way, we met some locals and as planned, we either gave them bread or coca leaves. The kids got bread while the elders got coca leaves.

The view, yet again, was splendid. I don’t think words can do justice to how pristine the scenery was. I was speechless (literally, as I was gasping for air as well).

I felt so dirty this day as I accidentally jumped on a puddle of mud. Whyyy? I was trying to avoid them so badly, especially since I wasn’t wearing real water/mud proof trekking shoes. What can I say, I’m really clumsy. Wait ‘til you get to my post on day 2 of the hike. ;) 

During the hike, it doesn’t hurt to hike alone. It’s unlikely that you’ll get lost anyway. I actually preferred hiking alone but Ben, one of the hikers, said that he’ll hike with me. F*ck, really? Now I feel more pressured to go fast cause he has quite the stamina. It was really nice of him to wait though. I just felt guilty cause I feel that I was keeping him from getting to the camp site. 

When we finally saw the camp site, he suggested that we race to the top. Uh, no thanks. I swear to God, day 1 was really tough for me. If day 2’s supposed to be harder, I actually don’t know if I can endure it. I wasn’t going to give up though… it was too late anyway ;)

As soon as we got to the camp site, we were pampered the best possible way (at that altitude). The tents were set up, there were basins of hot water waiting for us, we had tea time and popcorn, and then dinner!

Unfortunately, I couldn’t sleep that night. No matter how many layers I wore, I was just cold. I had my sleeping bag + an air mattress but my “bed” was just too hard. I know, I could be a princess sometimes. I am not complaining though… I’m just saying that I wasn’t used to it.

Day 7, getting to the peak.

I was already wide awake before the wake up call, which consisted of a hot serving coca tea and a hot basin of water again. We were basically given an hour and a half to prepare before breakfast. Given that there wasn’t really any bathroom for us to take a shower, I think that was more than enough time to freshen up.

Breakfast was amazing! Did I ever mention that we brought real cooks with us to the trek? Again, we were over fed… I guess in preparation for the big day. Damn, I was really hoping to lose weight in this trip.

Before the long trek began, we passed by the house of a local potato farmer, where the guide showed us how potatoes are stored, preserved, and harvested.

Anyway, today, I decided to chew as much coca leaves as possible. Not to worry, it takes 297 grams of dry coca leaves to yield a gram of cocaine (found this online). It’s basically impossible for someone to get high by just chewing coca leaves (especially without the chemicals to actually make cocaine).

I also decided to start looking at the ground to make the hike more manageable. Of course, once in a while, I’d still stop to admire the view but I figured that if I don’t see how the steep the path was then I’d be fine. Ignorance is bliss.

Surprisingly, day 2 was actually better… until the final kilometer or 2 to the summit. For every summit-look-alike, we can’t help but ask, “is this the summit”? A part of me wished that it was cause I have been hiking for about 4 or 5 hours of hiking and my leg muscles are starting to sore. 

Then I heard Max scream and I knew that we finally reached the Huacahuasi Pass (4600 m.a.s.l.).

(photo stolen from Ben’s facebook)

We were lucky to still see the lagoon before it started to hail. I initially thought that it was hailing because we were that high but even on my way down, the hail didn’t stop. I was basically drenched.  By the time I got to our tent for lunch, I was freezing. Still, I’m so glad that it’s downhill from then on.

(photo stolen from Ben)

Luckily, it stopped hailing/raining at about 2pm. I’d say that the landscape has become more dramatic because of the ice.

(lagoon no. 1)

(lagoon no. 2)

It was 2 or 3 more hours of trekking to the 2nd camp site. This was a easy trek. Remember when I said that I jumped on mud the first day, well, today, I lost my balance while crossing the river. Anticipating that I’d fall anyway, I just jumped off the rock and crossed the river. It was actually perfect since it somewhat cleaned my muddy shoes.

The evening of day 2 wasn’t any different. We were still pampered and I still couldn’t sleep… even with that much alcohol. We played a game of cards called “shit head” and we made a deal that every time a team lost, they had to take a shot of rum. The tour leader and I were partners and we lost the last round. That didn’t keep us from drinking in between though ;) Borracho!

Day 8, our final descend.

This day was a bit boring. It wasn’t even challenging at all so there’s really nothing much to blog about going down (2900 m.a.s.l.).

After lunch, we took a private van + train to Aguas Calientes (a.k.a. the resort/tourist trap in Machu Picchu), where I finally took a warm bath and slept on a comfortable bed. And because I am somewhat a clean freak too, I took this opportunity to wash my socks, slippers, and trousers as well. =))

***

Stay tuned for Machu Picchu day!

I’m torn. A few months back, I started donating to the WFP in exchange for my Lenten Sacrifice. It felt more fulfilling to donate to a cause that I can relate to, versus just donating to my church, so I stopped giving a few bucks during the offeratory. Besides, it’s not like I’m raining in cash.

Recently, I chanced upon a blog of a Kiva fellow. For those who don’t know what Kiva is, it’s all about microfinancing to entrepreneurs in underdeveloped/poor countries. Philippines is one of them. Then it struck me, why not loan a money to a ‘borrower’ (these are the entrepreneurs) instead? 

I am a strong believer of this Chinese proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

I know Kiva is just about lending money (which means I can get my money back) but more than just money, it’s also about dedication to the cause. And to be dedicated, I have to read up on the borrowers and carefully pick who I’d like to support. That said, I can only fully support 1. 

Which should it be, WFP or Kiva?

Instead of heading out (actually, just down this condo) to do strengthening training today, I decided to just skip it and continue my blog post about Peru. I fear that if I postpone this any longer, I would actually start forgetting the details.

Unfortunately, I could be suffering from a mild case of Alzheimer’s. I am finding it harder and harder to remember people’s names and faces. But that’s another blog post. In the meantime, here is Day 4 & 5 of my Peru trip.

Day 4

This day, I took the bus back from Puno to Cusco. Just like in the Philippines, there are different grades of public buses. High-, mid-, and low-end. I was actually looking forward to immersing myself in their public transit but the ticket that was planned for me was for a mid-end bus. Not complaining since it was a 7 hour bus ride.

Before riding the bus, the tour leader said, “Okay, so in the bus station, if a stranger distracts you… do. not. move. If they throw soda on your face, do. not. move. and just guard your things.” Quite scary hearing those words. I feel like the local people in Puno are anticipating the arrival of tourists only to attack them.

Luckily, nothing happened. Shyucks, would’ve been a nice story to tell, eh? Kidding! Anyway, the bus was packed… by only tourists of all sorts. I swear to God, the bus was a perfect target for some sort of kidnapping. Again, nothing happened. 

The ride was amazing! The view was spectacular (again, more mountains) but I decided not to take pictures anymore. I figured that I will have an even better view of the mountains once I start hiking.

I arrive Cusco late in the afternoon so I could only do some quick activities before dinner:

1. Get a good view of Cusco from the highest point
2. Go to the local market (and buy anting-anting)
3. Have 1 Soles ice cream

Dinner was a different story. The tour leader brought us to this local restaurant. All along, I was thinking that the food prices would be less than 10 Soles (USD 3 or 4-ish). On the contrary, I had to spend a good 30 Soles for my meal. It was a good meal though. I got a huge ass burger that is literally (I think) as big as my face. I think the restaurant was called Los Perros but I can be mistaken. 

Here’s a link to how big the burger was. I only ate 3/4s, even if I know I could eat the entire thing. Just felt bad for my body :p

Day 5

Big day again today! Another 7 hour ride to the Sacred Valley of Ollantaytambo. Not too frightening though since we have a few stops along the way.

White Christ that stands over the city of Cusco
(somewhat similar to Christ the Redeemer in Brazil)

Alpaca land (or Alapaca weaver at Caccaccollo)
(where I purchased the softest tuque)

Scenic view of the Sacred Valley

Pisac Ruins 
(I know, the photo doesn’t show you where the ruins are since they blend with the mountains)

After 7 hours (or more) of hopping on and off the private van, we finally reached the Sacred Valley. First stop was the Ollantaytambo ruins. Yes, yet another Inca ruin :p 

Going up the stairs/terraces was no fun. Actually, at Day 5, I was starting to worry how well I’d fare in the trek. In so far, there hasn’t been a time when I didn’t scour for breathe in any of my climbs. Regardless, I still smiled for the camera. ;)

The Sacred Valley was such a small place. We (Me, Ben, Anrey, and Tricia - the solo travelers of the group) were able to go about the entire city in a couple of hours.

With enough time to kill before dinner time, we decided to relax and have coffee and one of the cafes located in the main square. We talked about how we should demand for wooden fired pizzas for dinner, and true enough, we did!

Yet again, the serving was humungous. Well, how can it not be? Each of us were craving for pizza so much that we all decided to order separately. *gluttony*

Anyway, the night ended with another roundabout in the city, this time with a local kid as our tour guide. Definitely a great way to burn the calories.

***

‘Til my next post!